Core Virtues

The handbook of Character Strengths and Virtues identifies six classes of virtue,-made up of twenty-four measurable character strengths, as shown below:

• Wisdom and Knowledge: creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, perspective.
• Courage: bravery, persistence, integrity, vitality.
• Humanity: love, kindness, social intelligence.
• Justice: citizenship, fairness, leadership.
• Temperance: forgiveness and mercy, humility and modesty, prudence, self-regulation.
• Transcendence: appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humour, spirituality.

Foregoing will create a positive psychological capital which will rest on: resilence,optimism, self-efficacy, and hope People will thus be healthier and happier, both physically and mentally.

Contributed By:
Prof. D. P. Chattopadhyay
(Globsyn Business School)

Appreciation of employee sensitivities by HR professionals

It goes without saying that the executives of HR departments in any organization will have to be sensitive to the needs and feelings of people working in the organization. This need arises from the various departments when there are performance, attitude and disciplinary issues.

But quite often the managers of various departments like production, projects, operations, mainteanace, marketing, sales, Finance etc., who are also to act as HR managers (as every manager is an HR manager) as they are the people who directly engage the employees as action happens at their end, stay away from employee sensitivities. For example, it is easy to brand an employee to be an under performer and condemn him or her easily rather than to get into the root cause of his poor performance. It is so because it is too tedious and difficult to get into whole issue relating to its background and to do root cause analysis. It beats the logic when we accuse an employee to be a low or poor performer especially when HR people along with the concerned functional professionals quite often boast of high quality recruitment and selection. A very few HR professionals facilitate the process of making the leaders/managers of line departments to appreciate the behavioral aspects of the employees, what do they expect in turn to deliver, what is causing them to slow down or fail etc. Mostly the problem is two-dimensional, one, employee’s internal aspects (his/her assertion, interpersonal skill, personality traits like introversion, sociability etc.,) and the other the external aspect i.e. interface with his manager based on qualities of manager (like his personality traits, aggressive, no-nonsense approach, expecting employee to be totally self managed with high self discipline and self reliance, viewing employee as a ready made resource to perform at peak always and thinking that employee is paid for such position, being very logical and always expecting employee to be highly dependable etc , without even caring to ensure developing the employee’s ability).

Unfortunately neither the manager will be a person of high understanding about the employee nor the employee will be an assertive and an extravert person. Employees mostly expect their bosses to understand their feelings well and treat them accordingly. Before we look into as to which boss has that kind of time to spare we should look into whether managers have that kind of competencies to appreciate the feelings and mentor the employee. The bosses are either ill equipped to handle this or they donot have time for these issues.

Quite often the technical managers or leaders are only designated as so because of their excellence in their technical work or performance. But they really lack managerial, leadership and human relational competencies. This can be even checked by looking into as to how many soft skills and behavioral skill training programmes they attended, forget about their acquiring the competencies in those areas.The fault is not theirs entirely and it depends upon several other factors like top management’s commitment to develop leadership, the promotee’s ambition to lead etc.

Another aspect is even if the employee is a high performer his performance can be affected adversely for the reasons like,

1. Any personal crisis
2. Lack of clarity in the career growth
3. Lack of higher aspirations
4. Mismatch of personal values and organizational values
5. Mismatch between organizational objectives and personal objectives
6. Family problems
7. Health problems
8. Behavioral/psychiatric problems
9. Addiction to alcohol, drugs, and sex
10. Perceived difficulty in taking up stressful assignments though capable
11. Imaginative difficulties when the job demands relocation due to transfer etc.

There can be varied reasons because of which the employee may not be comfortable in the organizational environment and his/her performance may go down.

Being specialists in HR the HR professionals are equipped to go deeper into the behaviors of employees and this specialized skill should be applied without fail.

To develop these skills a high aptitude on the part of HR professional should be developed.

Hence the following approach is suggested,

1. HR professional’s individual aspirations should be mapped.
2. A strong value system has to be developed to focus on treating people with dignity, sympathy and empathy.
3. Effective communication skills have to be in place, with focus on the ability to listen actively and with empathy.
4. Strong counseling skills have to be developed.
5. Should also take the role of a coach and mentor.
6. Should be able to use Johari window to guide the employees.
7. To appreciate and care for the feelings of fellow humans, sensitivity training is suggested though organizations like ISABS,ISISD etc.
8. Out bound training to HR professionals and line managers are suggested through organizations like Pegasus, near Bangalore.
9. The HR professionals should use their creativity to design out bound and semi out bound exercises and games.
10. HR professionals within the organization should be able to conduct the learning programs and
11. Should take the help of eminent HR senior professionals to conduct the specialized programs.

HR professionals should be prepared to appreciate the sensitive areas of organizational working. Hence there is a dire need to make the HR professionals in the organization to be trained on the practical aspects relating to the following ares. The list is not exhaustive but indicative.

1. Mapping the aspirations of all the employees in each department with regard to their career and suggesting goal setting process.
2. Basic motivational process and goal achievement process in the organization.
3. Knowing blocks to the goal, appreciation of failure, frustration and defense mechanisms.
4. Vision exercise for each department.
5. Values exercise.
6. Principles of coaching and counseling.
7. Helping employees in their personal crises.
8. Cases for discussion.
9. Communication and presentation skills.
10. Negotiation skills.
11. Stress management and conflict resolution skills.
12. Using emotional intelligence.

In light of the current day pressures on employees due to challenging environment, appreciating the employee sensitivity and dealing with it effectively is a matter of paramount importance. Hence the HR professionals should rise up to the occasion to facilitate higher employee performance through addressing the key issues of diagnosing the pain areas of employees in behavioral aspects and help the managers and leaders of all other departments in an organization.

Contributed By:
Dr. A. M. Rao
Head – HR
Satyam Ventures Engineering Services

How Honest Are You With Yourself?

By Ron Balagot

"Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise." - Sigmund Freud

Have you ever asked yourself this question: "How Honest Are You With Yourself?"

Why is it so important to ask yourself this question? Because it could mean the difference between reaching your dreams and simply going around in circles (or always being confused why you're not getting anywhere). It could also mean the difference between getting what you "really" want and getting what "you only think" you want (meaning, you only think you want it, because deep down inside, others want it for you, and you want to please them).

If you think about it, if you're not completely honest with yourself in certain areas of life, you will not have the power (or will not be in the position) to change what's holding you back from success in those areas. Basically, if you don't admit to yourself that you're living a lie, you'll continue to live a lie. If you continue to deny the fact that you're being dishonest with yourself, you will not have the power to change the things that need to be changed.

On the other hand, the moment you become more honest with yourself, things will start to change. Positive things will start to happen. And it's because you will all of a sudden have the power to change things. Besides, not being your "true self," as well as pretending that you like doing certain things even when you don't, are tiring. Living a lie simply drains a lot of energy from you.

Could you please do me a favor and try a little exercise? Take a moment to answer the following questions and see how honest you are with your answers. In fact, after every question, ask yourself: "Am I being completely honest with myself about this?"

1. Is the career you pursued what you really wanted to pursue? (Or, did you only go in that direction because certain people in your life expected/wanted you to go in that direction and you didn't want to disappoint them?)
2. Can you honestly say that what you're doing in your life right now is what you know will bring you a great sense of fulfillment? (Or, were your decisions the ones that led to your present condition... influenced by what certain people will say? By how certain people - whose approval you seek - will react?)
3. Are you honestly taking the types of actions that will bring you closer to your goals? (Or, are you just keeping busy with non-productive activities so you can say to yourself and others that you're actually doing something?)
4. Are you saying YES to requests from certain people because that's what you really want to say? (Or, are you saying yes because you're too afraid to say NO for fear of losing the approval of those people? Or, are you also saying yes because it will allow you to procrastinate... to delay what you know you should be working on?)

Now, those are only a few questions but I'm sure you can come up with a lot more questions of your own. So, how did you "feel" about your answers? Did it feel like you were truly being honest with yourself? Like every fiber of your being was saying YES (without any opposing thoughts)? Or did you have that feeling in your gut telling you that you weren't being completely honest (where you could hear a tiny voice inside shouting out "LIAR!")?

You see, when you're not being true to yourself, something inside you doesn't feel right. And this affects many areas of your life in a negative way. You feel confused a lot of the times. You tend to procrastinate a lot (and tend to find ways to justify your behavior). You lack that sense of fulfillment you so desperately want. And more.

However, when you're honest with yourself, you tend to be more decisive. You feel more motivated to take action. You think more clearly. And you feel fulfilled in general (since you are more at peace with yourself... and are doing what you are supposed to be doing).

As you can see, your progress - and ultimately, your success - will be highly dependent on your ability to remain honest with yourself. I challenge you to take a closer look at your life and see which areas you are truly being honest in... and which areas you need to work on. Then act accordingly.

Contributed By:
Prof. D. P. Chattopadhyay
(Globsyn Business School)

Source: Trans4mind

Two People Who Love Each Other

By Gary Bate

They are two people who choose to come together to share minds and thus realities: to enrich their experiences of life.

They are mindful in their relationship and find reasons to come together rather than excuses to be apart.

They are clean, meaning they are not dragging any 'old partners' around with them. They realise that everyone else in their lives are only there because they want them to be there; otherwise they would be a distant memory.

They take responsibility for themselves, individually, and care for each other: leaving behind any compromises for financial advantage.

They live for their own truth and thus are not concerned by the opinions of others.

They have a sharing attitude - 'what's mine is yours'.

They never use or abuse each other but only give to one another.

They constantly move forward in their lives, individually and together.

They trust each other because they are brutally honest with each other.

They help each other grow and encourage each other, delighting in each other's achievements.

They work at letting go of controlling one another in favour of loving one another.

They view lovemaking as the natural extension of the ecstasy they experience from sharing on all levels rather than the reason for the relationship itself.

They value their intimacy and keep it sacred, excluding all others.

They know that when one can genuinely forgive then one can always find love whether for the other or for self.

They are flexible and tolerant because they understand that becoming absolutely truthful is a journey that doesn't 'just happen' overnight.

They are two people who love each other.

Contributed By:
Prof. Debaprasad Chattopadhyay
(Globsyn Business School)

(Excerpts from an e-magazine: trans4mind)

The Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.

We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy; and I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.' He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...... 'Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.'

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it.

Contributed By:
Debasree Chattopadhyay
(HR Executive, Kotak Securities Limited)

Strategy and SME Growth

Often it is asserted that the field of strategic management lacks coherence and it is highly fragmented. However, there is research evidence to show how companies have achieved excellent performance and sustainable competitive advantage by implementing strategic plans.

Strategy primarily deals with issues of longterm implications. In recent years, business organisations have gained the power to predict the future with reasonable accuracy using various performance management systems and harnessing the tremendous increase in computingpower and communication technology. With this power, they can exploit the potential of the emerging scenarios.

Unfortunately, most Indian SMEs are either unaware of the power of these strategic frameworks or do not show any inclination to use them for strategic planning. As the tumultuous political and economic events of the present decade have made long-term planning a much more risky business, there is a real possibility of more small and medium firms staying away from strategic planning, notwithstanding the fact that except a relatively small number of firms in the knowledge sector, a majority of the Indian SMEs are still operating in environments where robability distributions of outcomes are knowable.

Click here to read the full article

Contributed By:
Prof. Abhijit Bhattacharya
(Dean - Globsyn Business School, Ahmedabad)

Training for SME Workers

By smartly exploiting the opportunities created by the process of globalisation, a large number of Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been able to sharply increase their businesses, either as original equipment manufacturers or component suppliers or business and knowledge processes outsourcing (KPO) partners for multinational corporations (MNCs) as well as large Indian companies. In a world where technology and business models are changing very fast,sustainability and growth of the Indian SME segment in the coming days will primarily dependupon SMEs’ access to education and skill upgradation. The government has a major responsibility in providing such access as the private sector cannot be relied upon for this — hi-tech knowledge and skill generation is a timeconsuming process and the return on private investment may be less than the optimum level thanks to knowledge spill-over, high rate of technology obsolescence and some other factors.

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Contributed By:
Prof. Abhijit Bhattacharya
(Dean - Globsyn Business School, Ahmedabad)